The present invention relates to clips and, in particular, to improvements in mechanisms and methods for attaching a clip to an object, such as a flashlight.
The art and challenges of attaching objects to supports encompasses a long-established history, and is replete with many solutions. Many times, the solution is often dependent upon the problem presented and, therefore, a specific answer may not satisfactorily or entirely solve the problem. Other times, the problem may be more generalized and thus encompass a broader solution. One specific technique employs the use of a clip attached to an object for holding the object to a support. Here again as just briefly outlined, the clip-holding technique embraces similar considerations. For nonspecific uses, problems can exist in the manner of attaching the clip to the object, e.g., whether the attachment is to be permanent or detachable, or usable for a long-lasting or disposable item or, conversely, for an expensive or inexpensive item. For the former, the cost of the item may not be a consideration while for the latter, cost may be critical.
One item or object of particular interest with respect to the present invention relates to flashlights, particularly hand held flashlights such as, for example, shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,642,932, 6,547,415 and 6,712,485, each assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. In any hand held flashlight, the position of the clip and its orientation with respect to the switch and the light-emitting head are considerations which should be addressed for protecting the light-emitting head while avoiding inadvertent activation of the switch when the flashlight is clipped to a user's belt.
A further consideration is the mechanism by which the clip is attached to the flashlight or other object. Conventional mechanisms may permanently secure the two together, precluding the ability of removing the clip from or reattaching it to the object. While a permanent securement may prevent rotational and longitudinal movement between the clip and the object, such non-rotating and non-longitudinal movement is also desirable when there is a nonpermanent securement.